StroudCreek
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What do you guys think?
My well water test came back today,
- Thread starter StroudCreek
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jtp137
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Perfect your lucky
Cancel your order for the RO setup.
The_Bishop
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Wow, I wish I had that water; I'd have no need for my RO setup at all.
Still waiting for my report, seems I mailed it in a week ago. I expect similar results, we have good water here.
Whoo, got mine this morning. This water source is Washington's Spada Reservoir via the city of Everett. It's very similar to Seattle city water.
I think that you both have really soft water, perfect for Pilsners and Kolsch styles. For brewing a Stout or a WitBier you want to increase the alkalinity a some though. If my water were that good my RO filter would be up for sale.
do you have a filter on your well?
Learning what to add to my water is one of my next endeavors in brewing!
That includes pH adjustment. My last brew day I got to use my new meter for the first time. My mash pH of 5.6 matched Beersmith's prediction, which was cool. Unfortunately my phosphoric acid hadn't arrived yet so I couldn't try to knock that down to the 5.2-5.5 range.
That includes pH adjustment. My last brew day I got to use my new meter for the first time. My mash pH of 5.6 matched Beersmith's prediction, which was cool. Unfortunately my phosphoric acid hadn't arrived yet so I couldn't try to knock that down to the 5.2-5.5 range.
For a heavy stout with lots of black stuff, perhaps. For most stouts and witbier, no.
Just to clarify some of the "great water" comments...
People are saying that because you basically have a blank slate. It's low in everything across the board. Is that perfect for every style (or any style) as is? Generally no. The "great" part is that you can get to that perfect profile really easily by adding minerals or acid to your water. It's hard/expensive to remove minerals from your local water, but it's really, really easy and cheap to add minerals.
People are saying that because you basically have a blank slate. It's low in everything across the board. Is that perfect for every style (or any style) as is? Generally no. The "great" part is that you can get to that perfect profile really easily by adding minerals or acid to your water. It's hard/expensive to remove minerals from your local water, but it's really, really easy and cheap to add minerals.
Yes, great brewing water usually means as close to RO as possible. No water is great for every style as is. I think we are just assuming the person posting knows that (maybe we shouldn't assume).
Why do you say it is hard/expensive to remove minerals from your local water? It is relatively cheap and very easy. RO system for under $200 gives me at most 5 TDS.
When asked what had made Hoegaarden the perfect location for brewing the Witbier style of beer? Pierre Celis replied Hard water (calcium-rich water) is good for brewing a wheat beer. Also, there were abundant supplies of water in the area. I have a well at my home.
Now who am I to argue with Pierre Celis?
Well you shouldn't argue with him (even if he were still alive) but you should rather understand what he said. Calcium rich does not mean alkaline. It means calcium rich. Now that calcium may have come with some alkalinity (temporary hardness) but were that the case Pierre would have had to remove the alkalinity either by precipitating it (which would reduce the alkalinity and the calcium) or by converting it to permanent hardness by adding acid and thus removing the alkalinity (replacing it with an equivalent amount of chloride, sulfate, phosphate or lactate). You don't make light colored beers with alkaline water.
Finlandbrews
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How much you paid for that test?
Finlandbrews
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Whoo, got mine this morning. This water source is Washington's Spada Reservoir via the city of Everett. It's very similar to Seattle city water.
How much you paid that test?
$42.
https://producers.wardlab.com/pay/order-brewers-kit.php?step=1&op=kit
They do say:
If you are ordering the kit from outside of the United States (including U.S Military bases), then please call 1-800-887-7645 or email [email protected] for more information.
https://producers.wardlab.com/pay/order-brewers-kit.php?step=1&op=kit
They do say:
If you are ordering the kit from outside of the United States (including U.S Military bases), then please call 1-800-887-7645 or email [email protected] for more information.
Why do you guys order a $42 kit?
Just mail the sample and order the W-5A Brewers Test for $27.25.
You can do even better than that by ordering the W-6 Household Mineral Test for $21, instead. It omits measuring iron and phosphorus levels, you may not need tested. But some water do, like private well water, etc.
Just mail the sample and order the W-5A Brewers Test for $27.25.
You can do even better than that by ordering the W-6 Household Mineral Test for $21, instead. It omits measuring iron and phosphorus levels, you may not need tested. But some water do, like private well water, etc.
When I looked at the web site I didn't really see any guidance about sending in a sample without the kit. I saw forum posts about it, but if there was a "hey, just mail us a bottle" note on their site it was not obvious.
I just took another look and the process for sending in your own sample is not listed under the Home Brewers section. You have to dig around in Sample Submittal Forms.
I just took another look and the process for sending in your own sample is not listed under the Home Brewers section. You have to dig around in Sample Submittal Forms.
Finlandbrews
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Indeed thanks for that! I will try to do that! By the way can iron and phosphorus totally filtered by RO when water is from Baltic sea?
Not totally but 95% or more.
Yeah, it's not that obvious. Now you've found it, use it if and when you want to retest.
Some mineral tests can be done fairly cheaply with aquarium testing solutions or kits. Keep that in mind if your water source fluctuates with the seasons or more often.
I think this is a big assumption. Anyone brewing with a bigger pot (15 gallons or more) paid close to $200. Those that have welded TC ports paid well over $200. And that is just for a pot.
You originally said it was hard to remove minerals. With a RO system, it is very easy. You said it is very expensive. While some people can't afford $200 upfront, $200 isn't very expensive. If someone needs RO water because their tap water is bad for brewing, they will probably be buying RO from the store and could spend close to $10 a brew. 20 batches they will spend as much as a RO system and the filters will last much longer than 20 batches. If someone needs RO water, an RO system is the best option. Higher upfront cost but cheaper in the long run.
OP
OP
StroudCreek
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I've been brewing for 4 years now, I've won several medals and I brew really good beer, with that being said I'm having a hard time understanding all this water chemistry. With the water in my OP what should I add for a Blonde ale, Porter or Stout, and a IPA? I definitely brew more than those 3 styles but it's what I brew the most.
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Yep - you nearly have RO coming out of your well! My guess is you are not in an area with limestone parent geology, right? I'll bet it is granite.
Russ
